Chapter 4

Chapter FOUR What in the name of batwings...?' muttered Dad. He marched along to the bathroom, his black cape flapping behind him, as bubbles puffed out of the door in great clouds. 'Wait!' I called. 'It's really slip—!' 'ARGHHH!' I hurried along the landing, swatting

away the bubbles. 'Dad! Are you all right?' Dad was sitting on the bathroom floor, rubbing his hip with one hand, and waving his other hand about in the air to try and pop as many bubbles as possible.

He kept muttering lots of short, sharp words under his breath. But the more he popped the bubbles, the faster they appeared! Dad gripped the rim of the bath and pulled himself to his knees. Then, through the popping of the bubbles, I heard him pull the plug out of the bath and the water start to drain away.

'Maybe that will help,' he said despairingly, crawling back across the floor. 'But I don't know how to fix fairy magic... Let's just close the door. I'm sure the magic will wear off soon, won't it, Isadora? Does fairy magic usually... stop?' 'Sometimes,' I shrugged. 'Maybe.' 'Right.' 'I'm sorry, Dad. I was trying to be helpful for Mum, and I've made a problem for you...' 'You're very sweet,' said Dad, closing the bathroom door firmly. 'But there's really not much you need to do for Mum. She just needs rest.

'OK,' I said, in a small voice. Dad put his hand on my shoulder. 'It's easy to get so carried away trying to make someone happy that you forget to listen to what they actually want,' he said. 'I once bought Mum a whole box of delicious vampire chocolates, filled with red juice for our wedding anniversary!' 'But Mum hates red juice!' I gasped. 'Exactly,' said Dad. 'I was so busy thinking about what I would like to receive as a gift, that I forgot that fairies don't like red juice. I giggled. Dad always has a way of making me feel better about a mistake.

'I wish I could do something helpful though,' I said. Dad's face suddenly lit up. 'Actually,' he said. 'There is something you could do. Something very helpful!' 'Ooh, what?!' I asked. 'Anything!'